1. Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed herein relates to carrying cases for portable communication devices.
2. Description of Related Art
In the maritime industry, crew members of tow boats, tug boats, barges and other vessels operating in inland and intra-coastal waterways carry two-way radios for communicating with other crew members and the vessel""s operating officer to coordinate and perform necessary manual tasks and jobs on the vessel. These crew members are also required, under U.S. Coast Guard regulations, to wear work vests which meet Type V personal floatation requirements when working on deck of these vessels. They are also wearing work gloves to protect their hands while handling lines and performing other manual tasks.
The work vest is typically constructed of three panels of plastic closed-cell foam, each panel having a substantial thickness, typically of about two inches. The three panels are interconnected by an arrangement of straps, allowing the vest to be worn by a crew member like a vest.
While wearing the work vest, the crew member must also carry and use a two-way radio to communicate with other crew members. The radio should be carried in a manner which allows for minimal, one-handed operation of the transmit button and the other controls of the radio, so as to minimize interference with the varying manual duties necessary on these vessels. A number of models are available, but the means for wearing or carrying them is often incompatible with wearing the work vest and performing the vessel""s duties.
One type of radio has an integral microphone and speaker, and must be positioned near the crew member""s mouth while pressing the transmit button to talk to others. This type often is carried in a case having a clip or loop, allowing the radio""s case to be worn on the crew member""s pants belt. These are usually impractical for a crew member, as the work vest will often cover the radio or its antennae and the radio cannot be easily removed from its case, held and operated in one hand, especially when wearing gloves.
Another type of radio has a microphone/speaker separate from the main body of the radio. The microphone has a clip, which can be attached to a strap or other part of the work vest near the speaker""s mouth and which is connected by an electrical cord to the main body of the radio, which again is worn on the belt. This permits easier one-handed operation. However, the cord often tangles or interferes with the work the crew member is trying to perform, and the controls and antennae on the main body of the radio are still blocked or covered by the vest.
Various radio carrying cases are available for the integral type radio which have holsters, harnesses or straps allowing the radio case to be worn on or about the wearer""s chest. However, these often cannot be worn by crew members on the exterior of the required work vest. If they can, they are often positioned inconveniently due to the construction of these work vests. These types of carrying cases also do not provide sufficient protection for the radios from water spray or other environmental hazards.
A carrying case for a two-way radio is desirable by crew members of inland water vessels which may be attached to the standard work vest, as required by the U.S. Coast Guard, which may be positioned conveniently, and which facilitates easy operation with a single hand.
The present invention is directed to a carrying case for an integral two-way radio which can attach to a standard Type V personal floatation work vest on one of the front panels by a vertical strap in a convenient location and allow easy, one-handed operation of the radio. A radio carrying case having features of the present invention comprises a receptacle made of flexible, durable, outdoor material formed into a front surface, rear surface, two side surfaces, a bottom surface and an open top formed by the top edges of the front, rear and two side surfaces; a D-ring attached to the top edge of the front side, and a strap attached longitudinally to the rear side. The strap is attached through two loops sewn or riveted to the exterior of the rear surface of the case or by sewing or riviting directly to the rear surface. The carrying case can, in one embodiment, hold the radio in an inverted position, which directs the antennae downward less obtrusively and protects the radio from water spray and other elements of the environment. The strap also functions as part of the closure for the receptacle, automatically cinching the top edges of the front and rear surfaces of the case closed from the weight of the radio, by passing the strap through the D-ring mounted on the top edge of the front surface. In the preferred embodiment, the carrying case has a perforated, clear window in the front surface to facilitates sound passage between the radio""s speaker or microphone and the outside. Apertures are also provided in the left and right surfaces for facilitating operation of the radio""s talk, volume, squelch and other controls.